Anchor for index cards



April 14, 1953 H. J. HOFFMAN ANCHOR RoR INDEX CARDS Filed Mauren s, 195o INVENTOR. HAROLD d HOFFMAN B @A2, ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 14, 1953 ANCHOR FOR INDEX CARDS Harold J. Hoffman, Hastings, Minn., assgnor to The Smead Manufacturing Company, Hastings, Minn., a corporation of Minnesota Application March 3, 1950, Serial N o. 147,382

Y 2 Claims. l

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in anchors for index cards or separators adapted for use in ling cabinets equipped with rods for securing the index cards in their proper places within the cabinet.

Numerous attempts have heretofore been made to develop van anch-or of this general type, made of sheet material folded upon itself and tted over a portion of the lower marginal edge of the index card and secured thereto. In most of the known anchors, spring clips or separable elements are utilized in the construction of the anchor for lockingly engaging the anchor rods provided in the bottom of each drawer of the filing cabinet. Many such anchors also require that the index card or separator must be inserted into the cabinet while disposed at an angle with relation to the anchor rod. To thus insert the index card is objectionable in that it requires considerable room between separators in order to insert a card into the cabinet or to remove one therefrom, and if the ling cabinet is quite full, it may be rather diicult to angle the card sufficiently to readily insert it into its place in the cabinet.

An obiect `oi" the present invention therefore is to provide a simple, inexpensive anchor for index cards or separators of the character herein disclosed, wherein the objectionable features now inherent in devices of this general type have been completely eliminated.

A further object is to provide a device of the character herein disclosed comprising a single blank folded upon itself whereby it may be tted over a lower marginal edge portion of the index card or separator and suitably secured thereto with the folded edge portion of the lanchor projecting well below the bottom edge of the index card, whereby the depending portion of the anchor may be received in the usual longitudinal recess provided in the bottom of the filing cabinet` and into locking engagement with the anchor rod, usually mounted in said recess, said anchor having a re-entrant opening in the lower edge thereof defined by opposed walls which terminate at their bottoms in inwardly directed wall portions normally spaced apart a distance slightly less than the diameter of the anchor rod, whereby the opposed wall portions of the anchor must flex when passed over the anchor rod, thereby to retain the index card or separator in position in the filing cabinet.

' A further object is to provide an anchor of the class described formed from a blank of sheet materialhaving opposed slits therein, and a central (Cl. 12S-16.7)

opening whereby when the blank is folded upon itself and secured to the lower marginal edge portion of an index card, the central opening is positioned to receive an anchor rod in the cabinet, and the spacing between the lowermost Wall portions defining the central opening in said blank being less than the diameter of the anchor rod, and means being provided whereby the opposed walls of said central opening may readily iiex, when the anchor is passed over the anchor rod, thereby to secure the index card in position on the rod.

Other objects of the invention reside in the unique slotting of the blank to provide the yieldable side walls for the rod-receiving vopening in the blank. and whereby such flexibility may be obtained by the blanking operation only, after the blank has been folded upon itself'as shown and described, and in the simple and inexpensive construction of the anchor, whereby it may readily be secured to the card by suitable rivets or other securing elements.

These and other objects `of the invention and the means for their attainment will be more apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

In the accompanying drawings there has been disclosed a structure designed to carry out the various objects of the invention, but is it to be understood that the invention is not confined to the exact features shown, as various changes may be made within the scope of the claims which follow.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a filing cabinet, showing a plurality of index cards or separators supported therein with the invention applied thereto;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view showing the inwardly projecting Wall portions of the rod-receiving opening in the anchor outwardly exed, as when passing over the anchor rod, and also showing the means for permitting flexing of said spaced wall portions when engaging the anchor with the rod or removing it therefrom;

Figure 3 is a View similar to Figure 2, but showing the anchor` disengaged from the anchor rod, as when removing an index card from its place in the cabinet;

Figure 4 is an enlarged detail sectional view on the line 4--4 of Figure 3; and

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the blank from which the anchor is made, showing the central opening provided therein and the formation of its yopposed side walls, and also showing the opposed slits and the enlarged terminal openings in the ends thereof, whereby when the blank is folded upon itself for mounting on the index card or separator, the reduced attaching portions of the side walls of said central opening may readily flex to permit the anchor to engage or disengage the anchor rod.

In the selected embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, there is illustrated in Figure 1, a portion of a conventional filing cabinet comprising the usual supporting frame 2 .havinga drawer 3 slidably mounted therein and provided with the usual side walls 4--5 anda bottom wall 6. The bottom and side walls are secured to the front drawer panel 'I in the usual manner,ftopro vide in effect an integral drawer structure.

A suitable handle 8 is shown secured to the front panel of the drawer to facilitate manipulating the drawer. A longitudinally extending re- :cess a9 vis provided fin Tthe bottom wall 6 of .the .drawer for accommodating the usual locking means for Aretainingthe inde-x cards or separators in y position in the drawer.

Aplurality'of `index cards or separators, generally designated -by the `numeral Il, are movably -supported -within 4the ldrawer 3 Yand have .their lower portions anchored-to an anchor rod I2 tof the drawer, as shown in Figure l. Each -anchor Yrod Vusually has its forward end supported in Yan aperture iin the front "panel 'I of the drawer, and its opposite end maybe received in threaded engagement with a suitable support Vprovided at'the rear end of the drawer, thereby to detachably secure the rod inoperative position lengthwise of 'the recess 9. A nger grip I3 is provided at the front end ofthe rod to facilitate `manipulating it.

itu'rned to their positions therein, as is well known.

The novel anchor herein disclosed is so designed that ,it may be readily moved into or out of locking engagement with the anchor rod without removing the anchor rod from the drawer, and "while holding the index card in `parallel relation-to other cards in the drawer.

YAsibest illustrated Ain Figure 5, the anchor is formed from a single blank of 'sheet material, preferably metal, and has re-entrant recesses I and I6 provided in its opposed side edges I'l and I8, respectively. An elongated opening I9 is provided centrally of the blank and is shown hav- 'ing enlarged end vportions 2U and inwardly dirested-wall portions 2|. Suitable slits 22 are also -provided 1in the blank at opposite sides of the opening I9 and are preferably angular in formation, vand have enlarged terminal openings 23 spaced close to ,the enlarged ends of the central opening I9, as `shown in the drawings, whereby restricted wall portions 24 are provided,`the purpose of which willisubsequently be described.

After the blank 'has been completely formed, as shown in Figure'yincludingthe apertures'for riveting tit in Y,position Aon `the index card, the blank is folded upon itself alonga ,fold line 25 thereby to provide a U-shaped anchor having side walls 26 and 2l, as illustrated in Figure 4. To secure the anchor to the index sheet, tubular elements 28 are shown struck from wall 21, which are receivable in apertures 29 in the wall 26 of the anchor, whereby the tubular elements 28 may serve as rivets to inseparably secure the anchor to the index cards, as bes't illustrated in Figure 4.

When the anchor has been secured to the index card, as illustrated in the drawings, the central-opening I9 will have its enlarged end portions 2U registering with one another, and in like manner, theenlarge'd openings 23 at the ends of each slit 22 will be in registry, as best illustrated in Figure 3.

When ythus secured to the index card, the weakened portions 24 of the anchor walls will permit the wall portions 32 and 33 to yield, when the inwardly projecting portions 2l thereof engage the'anchor rod I2, because of the spacing between the wall portions '2| being vless than the diameter of therod I2, as will be understood by reference ito AFigure 2, wherein ythe index card is shown being moved downwardly into locking engagement with the anchor rod I2. When the opposed wall portions 2| pass over the maximum diameter ofthe anchorrod, they will return to their normal retracted positions, as indicated by the dotted lines in Figure 2, whereby the card is not likely to become displaced in the drawer or Yiling cabinet. It will be noted by reference `to Figure 2 that the slits 22 are partially closed at the bottom edge or end of the anchor, when passing over the anchor rod, while in Figure 3, the walls of the slits are parallel their full length.

From a careful inspection of the anchor shown in Figures 2, 3 and 5, it will be noted that it is extremely simple and inexpensive in construction. The blank shown in Figure 5 Vmay readily be formed by simple blanking and forming dies, and the folding of the blank upon itself and securing it in position upon the index card is also a well known simple operation.

When the anchor has thus been secured to' the index card, the card may Vreadily be inserted into the le cabinet drawer or removed therefrom by a straight movement into or out of Ythe cabinet,

vas the wall portions 32 Aand 33 readily flex when the wall portions 2i, which serve as coacting jaws, pass over the anchor rod I2.

The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness of understanding only, and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom, but the appended claims should be construed as broadly Yas permissible in View of the prior art.

I claim as my invention:

1. In combination, anindex cardadapted for use in a ling drawer having va longitudinal recess in the bottom wall thereof and an anchor rod extending longitudinally in said recess,`and an anchor xed to said card for securing the card to said rod, said anchor .comprising a flat wall member having a lower portion thereof extending below the bottom edge `of said card Vand into said longitudinal recess in the bottom of said drawer, said lower portion having a bottom edge extending over Vthe bottom of said longitudinal recess, said wall member beingprovided with an elongated opening extending upwardly iinto said wall member from the vbottom-edge of-said lower Vportion IYthereof `to provide a guide aperture portion adapted to receive and engage said guide rod, said elongated opening terminating in a restricted passage adjacent the bottom end thereof said Wall member being further provided with elongated narrow slots extendingr upwardly therein from points in the bottom edge of said lower portion of said Wall member remotely spaced from said restricted passage. on opposite sides thereof, said elongated narrow slots being inclined and converging toward each other in said wall member from the bottom edge thereof to terminal points spaced on each side of the upper end of said guide aperture portion of said elongated opening in said wall member, said spaced terminal points of said elongated slots in the wall member communicating with' apertures provided in said wall member, saidI apertures being relatively greater in diameter than the Width of said slots and disposed in closely spaced relation to the uppermost portion of the guide aperture, thereby to provide weakened wall portions in said wall disposed between the upper portions of said slots and the upper portion of References cited in the me of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,196,769 Friedrich et a1 Sept. 5, 1916 1,367,550 Jones Feb. 8, 1921 2,097,018 Chamberlin Oct. 26, 1937 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 678,850 Germany 1939 

